1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for adjustably mounting an article to a support surface, and particularly an apparatus for mounting a piece of audiovisual equipment, such as as a camera, to a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to achieve greater realism or desired cinematographic effects in motion pictures, television productions, commercials, video productions, and engineering or scientific studies, it is often essential that film and video cameras, lighting, sound equipment and other audiovisual equipment be mounted directly to a moving automobile, motorcycle, truck, boat, airplane or other vehicle.
Several equipment mounts for securing professional film and video cameras to suitable surfaces are available. For example, the Ronford-Baker "Low Angle Tripod," which is described in British Patent 1,157,990 and commercially available from Birns & Sawyer, Inc., of Los Angeles, Calif., is adapted to rigidly attach professional film and video cameras to a vehicle. However, once the basic configuration of the tripod is selected and the various couplings of the device tightened, the location and orientation of its camera mounting plate and the camera which is secured thereto are fixed. Furthermore, the Tripod is not readily attachable to surfaces of arbitrary shape.
In addition, the "Matthews Auto-Mount System," manufactured by and commercially available from Matthews Studio Equipment of Burbank, Calif., allows for a camera to be mounted adjacent to an automobile wheel or to a flat horizontal surface such as an automobile hood, roof or rear deck. Similarly, the "Hood Mount," manufactured by American Studio Equipment of Sun Valley, Calif., enables a camera to be mounted on the hood of an automobile. However, neither mount is capable of positioning a camera adjacent to the door of a vehicle or inside a vehicle.
Several systems enable a camera to be mounted to the vertical surface provided by a vehicle door. Examples include the Matthews Studio Equipment "Side Mount," the American Studio Equipment "Hostess Tray," and the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,597, issued on Oct. 7, 1986 to Burris. However, these devices do not allow a camera to be mounted inside a vehicle or mounted to a horizontal surface such as the hood, roof or rear deck of an automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,246, issued to Woodruff on June 14, 1977, discloses an Adjustable Stable Camera Support for Vehicles which enables a camera to be mounted inside a vehicle but not elsewhere.
An apparatus identified as the "Type 7011 Molevac Car Kit," manufactured by Mole-Richardson Co., of Hollywood, Calif., allows professional movie lights to be mounted to flat horizontal or vertical surfaces such as the hood or door of a vehicle. However, the apparatus does not allow lights to be secured to a surface of arbitrary shape nor does it allow for the mounting of professional movie cameras to a vehicle.
As can be seen therefore, prior art devices lack versatility; many can be used only for specific applications such as mounting equipment to flat horizontal surfaces, flat vertical surfaces, or inside a vehicle. In general, the above-described devices cannot be readily secured to surfaces of arbitrary shape, even though the desired equipment configuration may require that the mounting apparatus be so arranged. Also, once the mounting apparatus has been positioned and secured, the degree to which the camera or other mounted equipment can be adjusted to assume arbitrary orientations with respect to the mounting surface, without disassembling the apparatus, is limited. Once the basic equipment configuration has been selected, fully articulated, universal movement of the mounting apparatus is not possible. Similarly, existing devices do not allow a camera to be positioned in an arbitrary relationship with respect to the vehicle, further limiting their utility and flexibility. Positioning of the camera is dictated by the shape and orientation of the mounting surface rather than by the needs of the cinematographic production.
Many of the prior art devices require the mounting structure to be stabilized and secured with a myriad of heavy clamps or adjustable straps. As well, the mounted equipment, except when used in accordance with the limited applications of the above described predecessor arrangements, has a tendency to rotate with respect to the mounting apparatus even after it has been secured because of the vibrations generated by the moving vehicle and because the prior devices lack structural means for resisting rotation. Finally, some setups require partial disassembly of the vehicle to enable access to a securing surface such as the vehicle's frame.
It would be desirable to provide a single apparatus that could be easily secured to a horizontal, vertical or inclined surface as well as an apparatus that could be mounted to both the interior and exterior of a vehicle. The flexibility provided by such an arrangement would eliminate the need for separate devices to mount equipment in each of these situations. Obviously this would result in reduced equipment requirements and costs.
It would also be desirable for such single apparatus to be adapted to attach to an object of arbitrary shape. This feature would dramatically enhance the flexibility and utility of the apparatus. It would also be an improvement over earlier devices to provide a fully articulated assembly that would allow mounted equipment to assume an infinite variety of positions and arbitrary orientations with respect to the vehicle to which the equipment is mounted. This would expand the flexibility of the system because the equipment could be positioned in the precise location that would achieve the most realistic production.
Finally, it would be advantageous to provide a system that is free of numerous additional clamps and straps for stabilizing the mount while at the same time providing a structure which inherently resists rotational movement of the mounted equipment.